In Between: Intro
by midwestisbestwest
Summary: I'm trying my hand at this fanfic thing. I haven't seen to many stories about the three weeks separating Ellie becoming infected and meeting up with Joel so I'm going to try to put my own perspective into it. First off, yes, I believe Riley and Ellie probably had sex, they're teenagers who just found out they will die. And no, I will NOT be writing about that.


Intro

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Ellie swung the lead pipe with reckless abandon as the clay pots shattered under her red fury and she sent the pipe clattering across the roof. She collapsed to the ground spent; emotionally and physically and stifled a sob with a heavy sigh.

"There's some more stuff over there that you can break." Riley was way too calm for this shit and a smartass to boot. In response, Ellie wiped away a tear with her bloody palm, smearing her eyebrow with infected blood.

"What are we gonna do?" Ellie heard her voice quiver and covered her face in despair. But she knew what they were going to do: die. She wiped again at her forearm hoping the red wound would disappear and her blood would flow back, untainted. The pain still lingered, and although the bleeding had slowed, more blood flowed as she tried to wipe it away.

Riley's voice came to her from miles away, "The way I see it, we got two options. Option One," Riley brought the gun up from between her knees. Ice ran through Ellie's chest. End it all quickly and be done with it and never run the risk of turning and infecting someone else, but fuck, she was only 13! She didn't want to fucking die!

"We take the easy way out." Riley's voice came back and Ellie snapped out of her trance. This was way too much shit way too fast. Dying was bad enough, but realizing that Riley was doomed too was almost too much. The only person she truly loved and who loved her back, what the hell life? "It's quick and painless." But was it? Who would kill who and then be forced to turn the gun on themselves? Could they do it with one shot? Put their heads together and hope the bullet would go through both? But then, someone still had to pull the trigger. Quick? Yes. Painless? Fuck all no!

The metal clinked against the roof as Riley set the gun down and looked Ellie in the eyes. "I'm not a fan of option one."

"Two. We fight."

Ellie's heart sank again, "Fight for what?" The world was shit. The only other person she cared for besides herself was going to go insane and become a monster; not one person would give two shits that two teenagers named Riley and Ellie had ever existed. "We're gonna turn into one of those things."

Riley looked into the distance, hell, into the past before responding. "There are a million ways we should've died before today. And a million ways we can die before tomorrow," She took a pause and looked into Ellie's eyes. They held such sorrow, pain, and exhaustion. But Ellie saw something else, even though they both knew their fate, Ellie saw defiance and hope. It was one of the reasons that Ellie loved her.

"But we fight…" Riley continued, "for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether its two minutes … or two days. We don't give that up. I don't want to give that up." Ellie's eyes remained locked on her knees, lost in self-pity and admiration of her friend. "My vote … Let's just wait it out. You know we can … be all poetic and lose our minds together."

Ellie thought through the scenarios. They both sucked. No 13 year old wants to die, but to turn? To become a monster that could do this shit to someone else? Was that it?

"What's option three?" She asked hopefully, knowing no answer would come.

Riley leaned in close and Ellie hoped for the comfort of her touch, if for nothing more than to assuage her fears. But Riley backed away suddenly, knowing that there was no comfort she could give just then.

"Sorry." Riley said as their eyes locked together again. Both their minds were racing. Finally Riley put a hand on Ellie's shoulder as she began to lift herself up. "C'mon. Let's get out of here."

Even in this fucked up world, in this fucked up situation, Riley knew what to say. Ellie sighed deeply and wiped away a tear with her blood soaked hand, cleared the snot from her nose, and followed Riley.


End file.
